India’s first fibreglass hanging solar fence becomes operational in Nilambur

Nilambur: Even if an elephant tramples the pillars of a solar fence, they can be quickly repaired by simply rejoining them.
Nilambur has become home to India’s first hanging solar fence made of fibreglass, a breakthrough designed to keep elephants at bay. Lightweight, cost-effective, and easy to maintain, the fence not only keeps elephants at bay but can also be swiftly restored if damaged.

This innovation is the brainchild of Samson Vadapuram Mulamoottil, who has been providing solar-powered fencing to the forest department and farmers for over two decades to prevent wildlife intrusion. The fibreglass fencing has been implemented at the Nilambur Conolly Ecotourism Centre as a model project. 

Traditionally, hanging fences are constructed using iron pillars set in concrete, often requiring the clearing of trees within a five-metre radius. In contrast, fibreglass pillars sourced from Gujarat eliminate these constraints, making installation simpler and less disruptive. The 14x14 millimetre thick pillars can simply be fixed into the soil, supported by 15x15 millimetre pillars. Being lightweight compared to iron, fibreglass pillars are easy to transport to locations. For hanging the fence, 1.50 millimetre thick stainless steel rods were used. If elephants damage a pillar, it can be easily rejoined by forest staff.

The system is also cost-effective. "While iron pillars cost around ₹8 lakh per kilometre, fibreglass pillars reduce the expense by nearly 40 per cent," Samson explains.

The fencing has been constructed around the herbal garden at the Conolly Tourism Centre under the direction of Nilambur North DFO P Dhanesh Kumar. The project was funded by Nilambur JCI Golden Valley Daffodils. Samson’s wife, Jini, is the president of the firm. Senior forest department officials are expected to visit Nilambur soon to examine the fence, with plans to expand the project to more locations.